There is only one futures bet worth considering ahead of 2022-23 Chicago Blackhawks campaign

Expectations are low for the Chicago Blackhawks entering the 2022-23 NHL season.

They went 28-42 last year and have missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. They have a new head coach, with Luke Richardson leading the way after spending four seasons as an assistant for the Montreal Canadiens. They are 200/1 to win the Stanley Cup at Caesars Sportsbook, which is the second-lowest odds in the market.

As a result, there is only one futures bet that you should even consider before the season opener on Wednesday. That is for the Blackhawks to finish with the lowest regular-season total points in the league. They have a price of +350 to do so at Caesars Sportsbook, which is the official odds partner of Bet Chicago Sports.

Only the Arizona Coyotes have better odds to accomplish this feat, as they are listed at +250 in this market. The Canadiens are +650, while the San Jose Sharks are listed at +800. All other teams are 10/1 or longer in this market.

The reason why Blackhawks’ fans can bet on this future and root for it to happen, however, is because of what it could mean. Connor Bedard is the next highly-coveted prospect and appears on track to be the No. 1 pick next summer. He recently produced 51 goals and 101 points in his 16-year-old season with WHL’s Regina Pats.

With how the NHL Draft Lottery is structured, finishing last doesn’t necessarily guarantee the top pick. But it certainly doesn’t hurt your chances, either. The Canadiens finished with a league-low 55 points before landing the No. 1 overall pick last year.

Take a look around at most season projections, and it is fair to say the Blackhawks will be in the mix for the honors of scoring the fewest total points in the league this year. Josh Younggren of evolving-hockey.com had the Blackhawks finishing with a league-worst 63.5 points in a season preview article from last week.

“The Central dropped in strength,” Younggren wrote in the season preview blog. “But Chicago’s extreme potentially Bedard-motivated offseason is doing wonders for the aggregate evaluation. It’s almost a thing of beauty how bad Chicago has gotten seemingly overnight.”

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic projected the Blackhawks to finish with two points more than the Coyotes. Luszczyszyn gave the Blackhawks an overall grade of a D as a roster and a 28% chance of finishing in last place in The Athletic’s season preview.

Most fan bases enter the year with aspirations of seeing their team hoist the Stanley Cup, even if it might seem like a long shot. But Blackhawks’ fans can embrace the rebuild and potentially make money by wagering on this particular futures market. Sign up with Caesars Sportsbook today to take advantage of their new-user offer ahead of the NHL season.

Lowest regular-season point total

• Arizona Coyotes +250
• Chicago Blackhawks +350
• Montreal Canadiens +650
• San Jose Sharks +800
• Philadelphia Flyers +1000
• Buffalo Sabres +1200
• Ottawa Senators +1500
• Seattle Kraken +2000
• Winnipeg Jets +2000
• Anaheim Ducks +2000
• Columbus Blue Jackets +2500
• New Jersey Devils +3000
• Nashville Predators 4000
• Vancouver Canucks +4000
• All other selections are 50/1 or longer